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Kierra Sheard’s Bold Right Life

Keke — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:00:32 +0000

The daughter of one of the founding members of legendary gospel group the Clark Sisters, Kierra Sheard, has grown up in powerhouse gospel.

At a very young age, “little Kiki” was joining her mother, Karen Clark-Sheard, on stage to belt out verses.

But that young “Kiki” is now a woman on her own. Adding even more rhythm to her gospel tunes, and subtracting her childhood nickname, Kierra Sheard has released her fourth album, “Bold Right Life.”

“It’s the name of my youth organization, which is a non-profit organization in Detroit,” Sheard said of the album’s title. She explained to EUR’s Lee Bailey that a recent Bold Right Life Youth Conference in Detroit this past summer, she was inspired by the young people attending.

“A lot of young people were blessed and I’m just really aiming for Bold Right Life to be a movement,” she said. So she decided to share the moniker on her latest disc. “With me wanting it to be a movement, I decided to attach it to my album. The record company thought it was a powerful movement. [It] stands for boldly living right.”

The title “Boldly Living Right” refers to the bible verse Colossians 3: 1-6 “We are dead to the things of this world … boldly living right, getting ready for life.” Sheard said that in her travels she’s noticed that young people tend to back down when it comes to representing Christ in their everyday lives.

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SOURCE: Eurweb.com

Micah Stampley Talks About Being Delivered From Hardship And Suicide

Keke — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:07:05 +0000

by By Mona Austin / mediamindedpro@yahoo.com

Ahhhh the good life. Micah Stampley is patting nectar from his lips from eating the succulent fruit sitting on the counter when I enter the dressing room.

As he rises to greet me with a hug I’m conscious not to get my made up face near his Clorox clean Ivory-colored jacket.

The setting is the Evening of Stars tribute to Aretha Franklin. The beat of Franklin’s “Rock Steady” is throbbing through the house speakers at the Kodak Theatre as Stampley lets the elite opportunity of being hand-picked to sing for The Queen of Soul sink in. That was 3 years ago and the favor keeps flowing toward this man of deep faith.

Just when Micah thought he’d received the ultimate compliment from Aretha — as the story goes they’d never met; Aretha heard him sing on TV and hunted him down! Even the President of Ghana, Africa personally requested the multi-octave-mounting tenor to come minister in his country.

Stampley hasn’t been far from the spotlight since he won the 2004 Stellar Award Talent Search and released his record breaking first album “The Songbook of Micah” (Dexterity Sounds / EMI Gospel ), which premiered as the second highest male debut in Billboard music history.

His magnetic voice has jolted him from anonymity and seemingly insurmountable odds to become a cross-cultural … all ages favorite. His versatile voice is a paradoxical composite of rock squawking with the tenderness of a soul balladeer.

Words like hit-maker, chart-topper, and phenom all accurately describe the highly acclaimed artist; they all explain why he is in-demand at venues nationally and quickly garnering international attention. But none of them adequately grasp what makes him unique. With his Manager/writing partner/wife Heidi by his side, this conscientious observer sings and writes lyrically poignant music with themes that urge submission and holy living that supernaturally transports listeners from the here and now. Give Micah a mic and a few minutes and he will convert any space into a place of pure worship.

The depth of his passionate performances stems from the belief he has in a God who has seen him through the death of a close relative, homelessness twice (once as a youth and while married) and a suicide attempt. For now, the 37-year-old father of five is rocking steady in his career, but in this interview excerpt he flashes back to the adverse circumstances that speckle the journey that brought him to the good life and talks about his upcoming new release “Ransomed,” an unadulterated worship offering, balanced with hymns recorded live in Atlanta.

Read the full story in the Winter 2008 issue of Precious Times magazine.

Fred Hammond Releases Christmas DVD

Keke — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:05:38 +0000

Nashville, TN (BlackNews.com) - EMI Gospel and Fred Hammond have partnered in order to release the first DVD of Hammond’s Stage play produced by fHammond Family Entertainment, entitled Christmas…Who Needs It.

“This is a faith based ‘dramedy’ that will surely put us all in the Christmas spirit. The inspiration for this play was based on the early Tyler Perry plays and I just took the idea and kicked it up a notch by shooting it in Panasonic HD with Redrock Panavision,” said Fred Hammond, the Producer and Star of the movie. “The timing is divine and it will hopefully enable people to find some joy during these difficult times in which we presently find ourselves as a nation.”

Christmas…Who Needs It will be released by EMI Gospel and will be available in retail outlets on November 25, 2008.

“This movie is uplifting and as a Christian, this is the type of movie I have wanted in the marketplace for years,” says Roy Campbell, Hammond’s business partner and fHammond Family Entertainment Board Chairman.

Christmas…Who Needs It is presently on sale on-line at www.fredhammondlive.com

“There is definitely a marketplace for this play and the agreement with EMI Gospel will only enhance the visibility of Christmas…Who Needs It,” said Christopher Brown, of Brown & Rosen LLC, legal counsel to Fred Hammond. Ken Pennell, President of EMI Gospel also stated “We have great expectations for the film and look forward to a continued relationship with Fred Hammond.”

CONTACT:
Nurisha Liggins
682-557-9201
Nurisha@fhfent.com

BET 106 & Gospel Coming Soon!

Keke — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:05:26 +0000

BET’s 106 & Gospel, an extension of the network’s popular 106 & Park countdown, is one step closer to hitting the airwaves next year with the recent unveiling of its hosts.

Jor’el Quinn, of the Gospel group 21:03, has been named as a co-host for the inaugural season.

Quinn, the lead singer of the popular group 21:03, will host the all new 90-minute weekly music event that in addition to incredible performances, will feature a top 20 countdown of contemporary gospel videos, news segments, church fashion and roof raising choir battles.

While a premiere date has not been set, BET is expected to launch the show early next year.

Gospel Songstress Sherrie Keys Kicks Off The Holiday Season With Free MP3s

Keke — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:16:30 +0000

Redondo Beach, CA (ChristianPRgroup.com) - Christmas in November? Gospel Songstress Sherrie Keys likes to celebrate the holidays early. The singer is kicking off the holiday season with free mp3 downloads of Christmas music on her myspace page.

“With so many attention-grabbing headlines about the economy, I thought I might capture in song the goodwill often shown during the holidays. The celebration of Christmas inspires us to show Christ-like behavior during challenging times” says Keys.

“Christmas is a wonderful celebration. It’s an opportunity to show our love for God and our love for each other by sharing with someone less fortunate, whether it’s a gift, a toy, a phone call, a food basket or a song”.

The singer has uploaded a holiday favorite “What Child Is This?” to her myspace page. “What Child Is This?” is a popular Christmas carol written in 1865 by William Dix. William Dix has been called a poet of worship. Dix wrote more than 40 hymns including “What Child Is This?” which is set to the traditional English melody of Greensleeves.

Myspace visitors can listen and download a complimentary version of Sherrie Keys singing “What Child Is This?” on the singer’s myspace page.

http://www.myspace.com/sherriekeys

About Sherrie Keys
Sherrie Keys is a contemporary gospel recording artist who captivates audiences with her elegant, hauntingly beautiful voice. Armed with a warm spirit, an infectious smile, a generous heart and a passion for missions outreach, Sherrie Keys’ abundant gifts serve as a platform for ministry beyond music.

Contact:
Sherrie Keys, President
Chubby Girl Records
2110 Artesia Blvd., #B406
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
(310) 288-6672
media@chubbygirlrecords.com

Mary Mary- The Sound

Keke — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:14:59 +0000

The enormous contributions from gospel duo Mary Mary to the preface of 21st century urban contemporary gospel remains poignant as ever; years after their breakout debut album Thankful. Sisters Erica and Tina Campbell, along with their hit-making producer Warryn Campbell (Erica’s husband), have emerged to become important trendsetters for the ever-evolving genre. And while the girls are usually only celebrated for their gifted set of vocals, their incredible songwriting abilities, responsible for crossover inspirations like the R&B Top 50 hit “Yesterday,” the R&B Top 10 favorite “Shackles (Praise You” and “Heaven,” should be just as equally celebrated and acknowledged. And with three albums already under their belt (not including a well-received holiday album), the Inglewood duo continues their reign on the gospel charts with their street sounds and their uncanny, yet innovative approach to build a bridge for listeners to R&B’s and gospel’s glorified past. An obvious criticism most observers have noticed about Mary Mary’s music is that, sometimes, their sound tends to come off quite predictable; as if they aim to take the safest route around what is hot on the charts at that time. They pulled off a good refreshing single on Incredible and their 2005 self-titled project, but some questioned if Mary Mary had what it took to avoid being piegon-holed into a particular sound. On The Sound, the group’s fifth collection of music, the group creates their best effort yet to avoid their former Mary Mary formula and previous musical patterns. There’s no trace of obvious samples or simple melodies looping from start-to-finish aboard - a definite sign that Mary Mary put some hard work into making this project.

Read entire review by J. Matt at PrayzeHymnOnline: http://prayzehymnonline.com

Bishop Paul S. Morton- Cry Your Last Tear

Keke — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:13:16 +0000

With a flood of projects hitting the shelves in the mid ‘90s, the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship Mass Choir introduced a movement that symbolically brought the best of gospel music to the church experience. With Bishop Paul Morton leading the newly-formed Baptist organization, the annual assembled choir - led by A. Jeffery LaValley and Byron Cage - turned out a number of best-selling albums including A New Thing and Bow Down and Worship Him. What surprised many inside and outside the organization is how Morton pulled some of the greatest songwriters and singers like BeBe Winans, the Williams Brothers, Kirk Franklin and Ann Nesby into the recordings. Strong material with big names gave Morton a solid advantage with his core fan base and his toughest skeptics. That prominence began to shrink by 2000 as new shifts and ideas were incorporated. Since then, the church fellowship’s recordings, except for the Sanchez Harley-supported Daughters of the Promise project released in 2002, have placed more emphasis on praise-and-worship. And even with the recent saga of Morton’s beloved Greater St. Stephens suffering from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina and a church fire in 2007, Bishop Paul S. Morton still remains busy with putting out solo projects and recordings from the Full Gospel music ministries. On Cry Your Last Tear, the Bishop once again “introduces” his choir during their 2008 convention in Birmingham, Alabama and whips out a lengthy nineteen-track offering filled with ministerial moments, interludes, spoken word introductions and big doses of slow-paced worship music.

Read entire review by J. Matt at PrayzeHymnOnline: http://prayzehymnonline.com

Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers- Just The Beginning

Keke — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:10:34 +0000

After releasing a number of successful albums with the Kurt Carr Singers such as No One Else (1997) and Awesome Wonder (2000), Kurt Carr adopted a serious work ethic to help revive the careers of Byron Cage, Paul S. Morton and Tramaine Hawkins. All thanks to the scoring of the popular church anthem “In the Sanctuary” and the mega hit status of “The Presence of the Lord Is Here,” Carr has emerged to become one of the industry’s most watched trailblazers. But a big stumble from the adventurous and highly theatric One Church fell on deaf ears in 2004. Four years later, Kurt Carr returns with his first two-disc collection Just the Beginning; an ambitious project Carr calls “singer-friendly, very congregational” and a “return to my roots.” It’s not hard to imagine Carr writing congregational-friendly material (look at Awesome Wonder and No One Else) nor is it hard to grasp Carr returning to his roots. His enriched gospel training came from the late James Cleveland after a move to the West Coast. After joining Cleveland’s staff, Carr began to spread his wings by exposing his keen compositional style with the King of Gospel during the final years of his career. While he always possessed that theatric spice in his early material, Carr remained on course with merging his own unique style with the traditions of contemporary gospel music. On Just the Beginning, Carr remains invigorated with raising the barometer on his animated, pompous gospel style.

Read entire review by J. Matt at PrayzeHymnOnline: http://prayzehymnonline.com

Hezekiah Walker- Souled Out

Keke — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:09:40 +0000

For over two decades, Hezekiah Walker has been recording fun exciting displays of contemporary funky gospel music - styled in such a tradition that people have gone to such great lengths to label it the “Hezekiah Walker” sound. And for generations, Hezekiah Walker has become an inspiration to many youth choirs and choir directors for keeping good choir music alive. In the linear notes of Souled Out, the pastor’s thirteen project to date, Walker expresses his labor of love for a style of gospel music that has become so unappreciated and neglected by today’s gospel industry. “Although the industry is trying to do away with choirs, this CD is a testimony that we are here to stay.” It’s kind of hard to believe that it has been over twenty years since Walker and his energetic Love Fellowship Crusade Choir jumped on the recording scene. But evidentially, Souled Out is a fresh new chapter for the songbook of Hezekiah Walker. For the most part, it serves as an inspirational guide for struggling choirs looking for cool material that bears the seal of approval from the renowned Pastor of Hip-Hop.

Read entire review by J. Matt at PrayzeHymnOnline: http://prayzehymnonline.com

Kurt Carr Debuts At The Top of Multi Charts

Keke — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:35:29 +0000

New York, NY (BlackNews.com) - Internationally renowned and celebrated, Kurt Carr is one of the brightest jewels in the crown of Gospel music. His 7th CD JUST THE BEGINNING was released last Tuesday and has debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart. The CD is also #5 on iTunes’ Christian/Gospel sales chart and appears on Billboard’s Top-100 albums chart, which is a rare fete for a Gospel artist. Additionally, the first single “Peace & Favor Rest Upon Us” is a high performer at radio and this week is #1 most added as well as #3 most increased spins.

“I am really excited,” says Carr who is currently on the final leg of a major market promotional tour. “I am so grateful that even though I’ve been away a few years, people have not forgotten about me. I have greatly enjoyed producing for other artists who I really admire, but it is great to be back and making music with the wonderful Kurt Carr Singers and I thank everyone for their support.”

Kurt Carr has penned numerous #1 songs, including the ubiquitous “In the Sanctuary” - which has been translated into nine different languages, re-recorded by 20 different acts and is a Sunday morning favorite at churches around the globe. Since his 2005 release “One Church,” Carr has helmed numerous projects including “I Never Lost My Praise,” the critically acclaimed “comeback” CD for the legendary Tramaine Hawkins; and Bishop Paul Morton’s powerful “Still Standing.” Kurt Carr and The Kurt Carr Singers reunited to record JUST THE BEGINNING, a powerful opus of good ‘ole church music with Carr’s trademark cross-generational, cross-cultural appeal.

JUST THE BEGINNING is in stores now.

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